Covering funeral costs while dealing with the loss adds to the burden for many lower income Malaysians.

Imagine yourself in a position where you're struggling to find enough money to transport a loved one to his or her final resting place. For some people, this is the harsh reality that they have to face. Even in death, there is no escaping from the rising prices of funeral costs.

Taking matters into his own hands, Mohd. Zulhairi Zainol has been offering free service to the less fortunate, providing them with a hearse that can be used to carry the bodies of the deceased from the hospital to their home or to the cemetery.

Mohd. Zulhairi, warmly known as Hery among the Bandar Baru Bangi community, said that the idea first came about when he noticed that some grieving relatives of a newly deceased had struggled to bring home the bodies of their loved ones from the hospital.

Hailing from Perak, Hery was very determined to see his dream of helping others come true. The 33-year-old used to own a workshop but changed profession about two years ago to become a freelance errand runner.

Hery who currently lives in Bangi, Selangor, said that he left his full-time business in the hands of his partner so that he can focus on his efforts in charity work while working part-time as a runner.

"In the beginning, I used my own money to help as much as I can around the Hulu Langat area. However, when I upload my activities on social media, more people became attracted to what I do and started to make their own contributions."

"I do all this not because I want to be famous. All of this happened because I want to help, but I did not expect what has been done to be a topic of discussion among netizens."

Soon, what started off as a dream eventually became a reality, thanks to the generosity of friends and strangers. It was a collective effort.

Hery first expressed his wish to establish this service last October. He applied for a bank loan but it was not approved. However, by February, Hery's dream came true as he managed to raise enough funds to afford a Naza Ria. The vehicle was painted and modified for the use of a hearse.

"This hearse is a present from my Facebook followers and also some of the residents of Bandar Baru Bangi who know me personally," he said.

These people, many of whom he have not met personally, have generously contributed to the funds that he had set up to buy the van.

Hery shared about how this woman living in Qatar had called her friends living there to contribute to his cause, collecting a total of RM4,000 for him.

"I only have the ideas but without the contributions from the public, this dream cannot be realised successfully."

Most people have continued to show their support for Hery and his noble work by helping him out however they can

Hery continues to update his supporters about his latest charity and welfare works on his personal Facebook profile while his supporters continue to lent him financial and emotional support.

Some people have also volunteered to join him in his quests to help out the needy to transport their loved ones to their final resting places, whether in the Klang Valley or in other parts of Malaysia.

Hery's story is one of many others featured on the Malaysian City Life series on SAYS. Do you have a story or experience to share, or have you seen any we should write about?

SUBMIT YOUR STORY NOW. FB message us or email us at [email protected] about your intent to share something with us. It could be about a particular time in your life as an urban city-dweller in Malaysia, or it could be a story you've seen or heard.

We'll get in touch with you for your story to be featured on SAYS!

Stay tuned for the next episode!

Previously on Malaysian City Life #55, we featured Eesan, who spoke about his experiences as a photographer in Malaysia: